The report, adopted on Thursday with 371 votes in favour, 146 against and 80 abstentions, acknowledges the importance of the flagship Global Gateway Initiative for the EU’s geostrategic ambitions. Launched in December 2021 as a €300 billion infrastructure initiative, for it to achieve its ambitions MEPs believe the Commission must promote the Global Gateway effectively and rapidly as a sustainable alternative to aggressive initiatives by rivals such as China and Russia.
They are concerned by reports that a number of projects are being implemented by Chinese companies in direct violation of the initiative’s objective of presenting an alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative, and are asking for an immediate investigation into the involvement of all Chinese companies in the Global Gateway.
Transparency and democratic scrutiny
MEPs deplore the lack of clarity and transparency regarding the initiative’s funding track record and how its topline funding figure was reached. They also believe the Commission should shift from an overly centralised, top-down approach to Global Gateway project planning to a demand-driven response that responds to the needs of partner countries, encourages private sector involvement, while respecting high social and environmental standards and aligning with the EU’s interests and values, including the rule of law, human rights and relevant international norms and standards.
The initiative’s current set-up has not been conducive to Parliament exercising its scrutiny duties or contributing to parliamentary diplomacy. MEPs believe that the stronger involvement of Parliament is essential to ensure the Global Gateway’s democratic legitimacy and transparency.
Project focus and future
Global Gateway should focus on investments in energy, critical raw materials and the green transition, to reduce the EU’s dependence on foreign rivals. Under the forthcoming long-term EU budget, MEPs say Global Gateway should be codified and integrated into the Commission’s proposed Global Europe regulation, to be adopted ahead of the next multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034.
Quotes
Speaking after the report’s adoption, co-rapporteur Chloé Ridel (S&D, FR) said: “”In this first report on Global Gateway, we set out clear demands to guide EU investment in our partners’ infrastructure: full transparency on financing, effective parliamentary oversight, systematic impact assessments, strict alignment with sustainable development goals, and above all, genuine participation by civil society and local actors, so that they can fully benefit economically from these projects. With authoritarian powers on the rise, Global Gateway could be, if done right, a unique opportunity for the EU to engage on a different path with globalisation, one that reconciles sovereignty, security, and democracy.”
Co-rapporteur Hildegard Bentele (EPP, DE) said: “The Global Gateway Initiative has at its core a paradigm shift: putting the private sector in the centre, mobilising private capital and enlarging the scope of traditional development aid. The new governance structure proposed by Parliament aims at faster decisions, more frequent and fruitful discussions, more transparency, more clearly defined projects, and more alignment with partner and member state policies. The interest of partner countries in investment and development opportunities is enormous. The EU’s geopolitical opportunity equally so. A Global Gateway enhanced with Parliament’s recommendations will be decisively primed to scale up its successes.”
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